Chapter 168: Fiona Slaps Lip
A bad feeling instantly crept into Fiona's chest.
And sure enough—just as she feared—Lip lunged forward the moment he heard her, trying to snatch the admission letter from her hands.
William, standing nearby, had no intention of letting that happen.
If Lip tore up the letter, Fiona might truly give up for good.
And that was the last thing he wanted.
What he needed… was for Lip to push Fiona to the brink.
Only when she was completely broken would she finally lower that stubborn pride of hers.
So he casually stepped in, wrapping an arm around Lip's shoulder as if in celebration, subtly interrupting his attempt to grab the letter.
Taking advantage of that brief moment, Fiona quickly stepped back, clutching the envelope protectively.
She knew all too well—if Lip got his hands on it now, he would tear it to pieces without hesitation.
"Fuck, Fiona! I'm telling you right now—I'm not going to college! I'm going to take responsibility as a father!"
Lip's voice was hoarse, his eyes wild.
He was no longer listening to reason.
"What's going on here? Why are you two arguing?" William asked, feigning ignorance, as if he had just arrived in the middle of it all.
At that moment, Lip shrugged off William's arm.
Of course, William let him—otherwise, with Lip's strength, he wouldn't have broken free even in two hundred years.
Fiona didn't even have the time to answer.
She held the admission letter close, like a mother hen shielding her chick, her expression firm and unyielding.
"Lip! I don't care what you're thinking right now! And I don't care whether Shaniqua decides to keep the baby or not!"
"But this college—you are going!"
She had already realized that pushing him about the pregnancy would only make things worse.
So she changed tactics.
If she could just get him into college first… everything else could be dealt with later.
"Fuck! I'm not listening to you!"
Lip wasn't buying it.
"You want me to go to college? Don't think I don't know why!"
"I'm telling you right now—I'm not going!"
His face flushed red as he shouted, spittle flying.
"Hey—what's going on? What are they fighting about?"
At that moment, Veronica stepped outside.
The argument had escalated too much for her to ignore.
She looked at William for answers.
William simply shrugged. "No idea. I got here and they were already like this."
Veronica's arrival changed nothing.
Fiona raised the admission letter, her voice trembling with anger and disbelief.
"What?! You think I want you to go to college for some hidden reason?"
"I'm doing this for you, Lip!"
She had already suspected what he might be thinking—but a small part of her had still hoped she was wrong.
That maybe… just maybe… he didn't see her that way.
But now—her last bit of hope was slipping away.
Fiona had never imagined that, in Lip's eyes, she had fallen to such a despicable level.
"College? What college?" Veronica asked, momentarily stunned, unable to understand what any of this had to do with their argument.
"I had Lip fill out a bunch of college applications earlier. The results are back—he got into Chicago Tech," William explained casually.
Veronica's eyes widened, her lips parting in shock.
"Seriously?"
She looked back and forth between Lip and Fiona in disbelief.
"Of course it's real. The admission letter's right there in Fiona's hands," William said, pointing at the envelope.
"Holy shit! Lip, you hit the jackpot!" Veronica exclaimed, genuinely happy for him.
But clearly, joy isn't something people always share.
Lip felt none of it.
All he felt… was the suffocating sense that his life was being controlled.
"Shut up!"
He suddenly roared, startling Veronica into silence.
She froze, not daring to say another word.
Barely a second later, Lip turned back to Fiona.
"Fiona, don't think I don't get it!"
"The moment I go to this college—"
"You'll all start squeezing me dry like some workhorse!"
"I'm telling you right now—that's not happening!"
"You can't just depend on me for everything!"
What he said made little sense.
Lip had always overestimated his own contribution to the family.
Fixing things here and there… stealing a heater from someone's house… scamming delivery workers and emptying their trucks…
In his mind, those were major contributions.
But what he never understood was this:
The person who had actually kept the Gallagher family afloat… was always Fiona.
Everything in that house—every bill, every responsibility—was under her name.
"Heh… hahaha… rely on you?" Fiona laughed, her voice cracking as tears welled up again.
"Lip… you really think that?"
Lip didn't hesitate.
He nodded, completely serious.
"Yeah. That's exactly what I think."
Slap!
Before the last word had even settled, Fiona's hand struck his face.
Lip froze, one hand clutching his cheek, staring at her in disbelief.
She… actually hit him.
"Fuck you! Go to hell, Fiona!"
He snapped.
And without another word—without even looking at the admission letter again—he turned and ran.
"I'll go after him. You stay with Fiona."
Veronica reacted quickly. As much as she was upset, she knew Lip was young, impulsive, and prone to doing something reckless.
Fiona, at least, had William here.
Giving William a quick, trusting glance, Veronica hurried off after Lip.
William stepped forward and pulled Fiona into his arms.
"You okay?" he asked softly, his voice low near her ear.
Fiona didn't answer.
Instead, she clung to him like a drowning person grabbing onto the last piece of driftwood.
Her grip tightened, as if afraid he might disappear too.
And then—she broke.
"W-waaah… uuugh…"
Even buried in his chest, her sobs came out loud and raw.
Helpless, William gently stroked her back, like soothing a child.
After this, there was no way Fiona could continue working that day.
Once she calmed down a little, William called Max over.
"Boss, you needed me?" Max asked, her eyes flicking curiously toward Fiona, who sat off to the side.
She had no idea what had happened.
But if she did know—that Lip had received a college admission and was refusing to go because his girlfriend was pregnant—
She'd probably react just like Fiona.
This wasn't just high school.
This was college.
A chance that countless people from the bottom spent their whole lives chasing.
And Fiona already had a business running—supporting Lip through college wasn't even unrealistic.
Raising a child at the same time? Difficult, sure—but not impossible.
So from her perspective…
Lip's decision was simply insane.